The authors first lines were “Do they come on horses with rifles,” giving the reader a straight forward view of a cowboy bandit. Then, Baca presents the image of a Mexican who sneaks into a city at night and mugs someone at knifepoint saying they want the victim's job, the author draws us the stereotype that most Americans think; that Mexicans are delinquents. It is not possible believe that anyone would demand someone's job threatening them but the author gave us the stereotypical view of a Mexican man that is a bandit or street thug, that is the characterization that Baca uses to make his point; saying that there are harworking people that leave their country just to prosper and take whatever job they can find and americans worry more over this then children and other people that need the attention and help.
I agree with you that the poem suggests that Americans are not focusing on what is really important. I think it should also be noted that the poet points out that the accused Americans are not as ethical as they claim to be. For example, when it mentions the American being with a whore.
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